CMS issues flexibilities for healthcare providers following Hurricane Ida
Hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi were already overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients before Ida hit.
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Following the devastation Hurricane Ida caused in Mississippi and Louisiana, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a number of flexibilities and resources to ensure hospitals and healthcare facilities can continue to operate.
These new waivers are in addition to those already available under the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).
CMS has developed a disaster preparedness toolkit and inventory that state Medicaid and CHIP agencies can access to find strategies they may temporarily utilize during the PHE. Suggested strategies include streamlining provider enrollment requirements, delaying renewal processing for individuals in affected areas, and suspending fee-for-service and managed care prior authorization requirements.
To help ensure continued access to dialysis care, CMS activated the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) program and is working with state-based End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) networks to help people get their dialysis care and assess the working status of dialysis facilities.
For beneficiaries who have lost or damaged their durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics or supplies in the hurricane, CMS waived a number of requirements to allow them to replace their items.
The agency has also temporarily suspended its ongoing survey and enforcement activities for healthcare facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi, but says it will investigate any allegations that are of an immediate threat to patient health and safety.
For those enrolled in Medicare Advantage and Part D, CMS is waiving any requirements for gatekeeping referrals to ensure patients can get care even at non-contracted facilities.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi this Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane. With strong winds and flooding, it reportedly was one of the strongest storms to ever hit the area.
The storm knocked out power across the state, leaving New Orleans totally blacked out until Wednesday when power was restored for some in the eastern part of the city.
All told, the hurricane likely caused $50 million or more in damages, the AP reports. As of Wednesday, the toll sits at six, although officials expect that number to increase.
Making matters worse, Louisiana and Mississippi were already overwhelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations before Hurricane Ida hit. As of late last month, the states had 2,447 and 1,543 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, respectively.
THE LARGER TREND
On top of these newly announced flexibilities, on Monday Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared public health emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi.
"Hurricane Ida made landfall as an extremely dangerous storm and is carving a path of destruction that poses a significant threat to health and safety," Secretary Becerra said in a statement Monday. "These declarations and waivers help ensure that some of the most vulnerable residents of Louisiana and Mississippi – beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid – have continuous access to the care they need in the aftermath of this storm. We stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support to help impacted communities respond and recover."
President Biden has also made efforts to provide support in the wake of Hurricane Ida. On Sunday, he visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters for a briefing. He is also scheduled to visit Louisiana on Friday to survey the storm's damage.
ON THE RECORD
"My heart is with the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf Coast who are facing the devastation brought about by Hurricane Ida," CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement.
"With this administrative relief, we are acting to ensure people do not have a lapse in health coverage or lack access to the critical care they need. We are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to provide access to health care and crucial life-saving and sustaining services when it matters most."
Twitter: @HackettMallory
Email the writer: mhackett@himss.org
